Personalized Medicine in the Genomic Era

When the human genome draft was announced 10 years ago, many researchers and policymakers anticipated using the newly sequenced code to develop a wealth of diagnostic and treatment capabilities. But the genetic components of disease have proved more complex

A study of over 38,000 hypertension patients (the ALLHAT study, for Antihypertensive and Lipid Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial) finds that individuals respond better to some drugs than to others, based on their personal genetics. Steve Mirsky reports.

Next-generation technologies that make reading DNA fast, cheap and widely accessible are coming in less than a decade. Their potential to revolutionize research and bring about the era of truly personalized medicine means the time to start preparing is now